Renovations underway at the Amtrak station in Rhinecliff may take more than a year to complete, making it difficult for some riders to hop aboard.
That is why Rep. Pat Ryan recently wrote Amtrak, letting it know that those with disabilities may have a difficult time using the transportation system.
“I wrote a letter to the CEO of Amtrak directly,” said Ryan. “We were hearing from constituents there. There’s some confusions and misunderstanding and ultimately, people weren’t able to get on the train smoothly. So I thought it was very important that I elevate that voice.”
He said as excited as he is about the upgrades during the construction phase, it still presents challenges for riders.
Lisa Tarricone, executive director of Taconic Resources for Independence, said people with disabilities need to be taken more seriously.
“People with disabilities use Amtrak public transportation to go to school, medical appointments, to go to work, and it’s long, long overdue,” said Tarricone. She believes a good solution to the problem is to partner with them.
“It would be wonderful if Amtrak would partner with the disability community for recommendations and how we can best accommodate our community,” said Tarricone. “You know nothing about us without us as a setting in our community. I mean, we know best. We’re experts.”
Teryn Kuzma is a musician who frequently commutes to the city for auditions. She said she’s seen the impact it can have on people.
“The accessibility to the train station is a huge issue that a lot of us care deeply about, especially since we have colleagues that are disabled,” said Kuzma.
She, too, agrees with the congressman’s letter to add more signage and parking accessibility.
“It’s definitely important to bring up these issues, especially with like, so much kind of renewing of the transportation system that’s trying to be put in place,” said Kuzma. “I think it’s incredibly important nowadays to include those within the elderly and the disability community in those renovations.”
Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager Jason Abrams sent out a statement:
”While we conduct renovations at Rhinecliff station, there will still be two accessible parking spots remaining at the lower level (in the same location). In addition, we are adding signage to the station and all current ADA access/paths of travel are unchanged. In fiscal year 2022, we dedicated more than $158 million to Amtrak’s ADA stations program, which has now brought 104 stations to full compliance and another 69 stations to full compliance, excluding platforms. Amtrak is committed to accessibility in all aspects of our business.”
BY JACQUELYN QUINONES DUTCHESS COUNTY
PUBLISHED 8:43 PM ET DEC. 06, 2022
